Competitive chief, competitive future: Bellcore sheds Bell roots as image makeover continues

Leaving any link to its past far behind, Bellcore has named a onetime resale entrepreneur and top hand from Sprint as its new CEO.

Richard Smith, most recently a senior vice president at Sprint, has replaced acting Bellcore CEO John Glancy, an executive of Science Applications International Corp., who held the position on an interim basis. SAIC completed its acquisition of Bellcore in November, and six-year CEO George Heilmeier retired.

Before his 17-year career at Sprint, Smith founded and ran his own long-distance resale operation, Isacomm, which he later sold to Sprint. While at Sprint, he also served as president of national accounts for the company's long-distance unit, helping see the operation through the hotly competitive long-distance marketing wars.

Smith's entrepreneurial experience may serve Bellcore well as it seeks to prove itself independently and competitively. Any number of Bell company executives might have beeneligible for the CEO job, but the agency sought to free itself from lingering ties to its former owners.

"The concept of Bellcore as an independent brand is a big issue, said Smith. "We'll be concerned with getting people to understand what that means."

He also described Bellcore as having the best of both worlds-the resources of an experienced company and the ambitions of a start-up.

Several analysts declined to comment on Smith's hiring, although one described him as "a bit of a dark horse."

Glancy will remain vice chairman of Bellcore. Smith and Sanjiv Ahuja, Bellcore's chief operating officer, will join Bellcore's board of directors.

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